Where Basements Leaks Come From

When your basement leaks and is flooded, you know. The space is soaked, and everything's a mess, right?

Here's the rub: Do you know where the water's coming from? If you don't know, you can't address the flooding, and it's going to happen again.

Basement Systems Saskatchewan finds that most basement water comes from one of four following sources. If you're interested in a FREE basement waterproofing inspection and written quote, call or contact us online today! They proudly serve Saskatchewan including areas like Saskatoon, Humboldt, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Regina, Estevan, Swift Current, Weyburn, and Yorkton.

From the Basement Wall/Floor Joint

The most common way that a basement experiences groundwater leaking is through the basement wall/floor joint, which is where the foundation walls and the basement floor meet. Water pressure can most easily force its way through at this point, where it leaks into the basement through the edges of the floor.

There will always be more water around your home than anywhere else. When your home was built, a large area was excavated so the foundation could be placed. After the foundation is built, any excess are is filled in with backfilled soil. This soil will always be looser- and much more absorbent of water- than any soil around it.

The best way to address this problem is with a perimeter French drain and a sump pump with a battery backup. This intercepts the water where it enters, directs it to the sump pump, and gets it out of the basement.

Through the Basement Windows

Basement windows, as well as crawl space or basement vents, can also leak a significant amount of water into the basement. This happens most often when the window frames rot, rust, or corrode, and also when the window wells fill with water, snow, and debris.

Replacing the window wells with plastic, covered window wells should help keep water and debris away from the windows, and by blocking winter wind, they'll even make your home more energy efficient.

Replace old windows with vinyl, energy efficient windows, and your home will appreciate further energy benefits, with windows that will not corrode in the future. Steel, wood, and metal are inappropriate materials for basement window frames.

Find basement windows that use double-paned low-E glass. These windows will reflect heat and the summer and pull heat into the space in the winter, allowing for the brightest, most temperate basement.

Home Plumbing Leaks

Even when groundwater is not an issue, there's an awful lot of possible ways to have leaky plumbing. Between your sinks, tubs, toilets, showers, pipes, refrigerator lines, and other plumbing, your basement can be exposed to serious flooding. And when a washing machine or water heater fails, the results can be disastrous!

Protect your home from water heater flooding with the FloodRing. This will hold back any flooding water, while a special alarm sounds off to let you know a flood has occurred. They also offer FloodChek washing machine hoses, which include a 25-year warranty against failure. That's much longer than most washing machines last!

Other plumbing issues can't all be stopped entirely- there's just too many sources to cover them all. And if there's a flood upstairs, the water will most often end up in the basement.

If you're planning on finishing the basement, be sure to use inorganic materials that will not be ruined by a flood. This way, an entire floor of your living space isn't ruined should there be an issue.

If you'd like to stop basement leaks, call or contact Basement Systems Saskatchewan today. They offer free basement waterproofing estimates, including written quotes and an 88-page basement waterproofing book, to homeowners in Saskatchewan.